Joe Biden, facing complicated decision to shut down country due to pandemic

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden faces a different decision than any other incoming president: whether or not to support a short-term national quarantine to finally stop a pandemic that is getting worse by the day. Yesterday there was a new record of 184,000 Covid-19 cases, with a daily average of 140,000 for the past week.

Donald Trump, who has always played down the health crisis, has already declared that he will not apply drastic measures for the rest of his government. “We are not going to containment, I will not go, this government will not go to a closure of activities,” he said on Friday.

Biden, meanwhile, avoids a blunt response on the matter, but admits he’s concerned. “I am alarmed by the increase in infections, hospitalizations and deaths from Covid-19,” he tweeted on Saturday. “This crisis requires a strong and immediate federal response which has unfortunately been lacking,” he added, directly criticizing Trump’s health policy.

“I am the elected president, but I won’t be president until next year. The Covid-19 is not on schedule, it is accelerating right now, “Biden said, before demanding” urgent action today, now, from the current administration.

The United States is approaching 11 million coronavirus infections and has claimed more than 245,000 deaths. But the problem continues to grow. In addition to health, there is the deterioration of its economy. Even with promising news of a successful vaccine, it is unlikely to be widely distributed for many months.

“Covid-19 is still determining the course of the economy. The current increase in cases is much more worrying and should be more disruptive for economic activity,” said economist Diane Swonk of the consultancy firm Grant Thornton.

In the week following Trump’s defeat, Biden has devoted most of his public statements to encouraging Americans to wear a mask and to view the coronavirus as a threat that does not take into account political ideologies.

Although Biden avoids it, among members of the coronavirus advisory board announced by the Democratic leader, there has been a debate over quarantine. One of its members, Dr Michael Osterholm, suggested a 4 to 6 week lockdown with financial assistance for those who need it most. It subsequently retracted and was refuted by two other members of the committee, who noted that this measure should not be considered.

It’s an indication of the complicated dynamic Biden will find himself in when he takes office in January. He campaigned as a more responsible American public health director than Trump and acknowledged the challenges the country is facing with this pandemic.

But talking about foreclosure is a particularly sensitive issue for Americans. First, it is nearly impossible for a president to enact it himself, so he would need the bipartisan approval of state and local officials. On the other hand, they basically constitute a point of political confrontation that could undermine Biden’s efforts to unite a deeply divided nation.